Nepitelle

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PRESENTATION

Soft, sweet pastry always gets attention at the dinner table, and Nepitelle delivers with plenty of family appeal. These fluffy, golden pastries bring cozy tradition right into everyday American meals—perfect for anyone loving Midwest recipes or searching for new American recipes that feel both familiar and special. Beautiful to look at on a platter, moist pastries with classic Calabrian influences pop with a nice, nutty filling inside a slightly crisp shell. Each bite offers a rich, slightly sweet flavor that’s DELICIOUS for weekend celebrations or simple weeknight desserts—good for making everybody smile. Kids usually ask for seconds, while adults appreciate how these pastries blend Southern comfort and handy make-ahead recipes with an approachable spin. There’s something really nice about the traditional shapes—great for sharing after dinner, stacking in lunchboxes, or making as part of a friendly gathering—since this pastry tends to fit any special occasion without feeling fussy.

Easy to love, Nepitelle brings a practical option right to your list of budget-friendly meals—REALLY. Works for big holiday dinners, small family gatherings, or anytime you crave a little simple pleasure with that southern touch. The well-balanced taste gives home cooks confidence, since the finished treat always turns out reliably tasty and presentable. You’ve got real versatility here—these pastries fit everywhere, from a coffee break snack to an easy make-ahead treat for busy nights (or a last-minute dessert for company). Everyone’s happy because Nepitelle matches the reliability of Midwest recipes with modern American flavors—DEFINITE repeat-request status at potlucks, church suppers, or lunchboxes. Serving suggestions keep it simple: plate with fruit, serve after a hearty dinner, or pair with coffee for a classic finish...really, Nepitelle feels like a warm food tradition you’ll want to share again and again. Families find it’s a convenient (and pretty DELICIOUS) way to mix up weeknight desserts, create new holiday favorites, and enjoy classic Southern-inspired pastry all year long. Great texture, amazing flavor, and the “just right” look—Nepitelle brings it all without complicating your kitchen routine.

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients for the external dough
Lard 5.3 oz (150 g)
Type 00 flour 4 cups (500 g)
Sugar 0.8 cup (150 g)
Eggs 3 - medium
Baking powder 1 bag
for the filling
Walnuts 1 cup (200 g)
Almonds 1.4 cups (200 g)
Dried figs 5.3 oz (150 g)
Raisins 1 cup (150 g)
Orange peel 2 - for grating
Dark chocolate 3.5 oz (100 g)
Unsweetened cocoa powder ¼ cup (30 g)
Cinnamon powder 2 tsp
Ground cloves ½ tsp
Vincotto (cooked wine) 14 tbsp (200 g)
Strega liqueur 1 small glass
Honey 0.6 cup (200 g)

Dough preparation

Arrange the flour and sugar in a fountain shape, add the whole eggs, softened butter, and yeast, and knead everything very well until you get a smooth and homogeneous dough. Roll out the dough well with a rolling pin until it's reduced to a thickness of 1/16 inch, and with a pastry cutter or a wheel, cut out dough discs the size of a coffee saucer.

Filling preparation

Soften the raisins in warm water and in the meantime chop the walnuts, almonds, figs, and dark chocolate.
In a large container, pour the previously chopped ingredients, the squeezed raisins, and add the cocoa powder, spices, grated orange peels, a small glass of rum or Strega liqueur, the cooked wine (or sour cherry jam) and honey, to get a soft but consistent mixture.

Brush the edges of the dough discs with egg white (to help them close), then place a little filling in the center and close them by folding the discs over themselves, forming a half-moon; press the edges well, perhaps with the help of a fork's prongs.

Brush the obtained nepitelle with egg yolk, place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, and bake the sweets at 392°F for about 30 minutes, until they have obtained a nice golden color. Once removed from the oven, let them cool and... Happy Easter!

Suggestion

When the nepitelle are cold, you can store them by closing them in a tin box (perhaps the one you use for Christmas cookies), and placing them in a cool place: they will keep perfectly for a long time.

You can use butter instead of lard; instead of cooked wine, you can use sour cherry jam.

Curiosity

Nepitelle are small sweets of Arab origin: the traditional production period is Easter, but they are now produced at different times of the year, and it's not rare to find variations in their filling. Often the cooked wine is replaced with sour cherry jam, and sometimes dried figs are not used: the most used liqueur is Strega, but others are also used, as long as they are sweet. The citrus peels used can be mandarins, oranges, or lemons.
Even for the external dough of nepitelle, it is produced with variations: it is often prepared without eggs.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.